The Museum of Unusual Occurrence
by Erica Wright

Welcome to the Museum of Unusual Occurrence—a place full of strange exhibits and even stranger murders. The first in the new Psychic City mystery series by talented author Erica Wright.

“Every small town thinks it’s special—That might be true, but this one actually is.”

Rational and cynical Aly Orlean’s life in her psychic hometown of Wyndale, Florida couldn’t be more hectic. It’s all about running her business, raising a teenage sister, sending out holiday greetings—and her new task: finding a killer.

For her Museum of Unusual Occurrence not only houses odd curiosities but now has a brand-new display: The body of Rose Dempsey, a local twenty-year-old, set up in one of the exhibits as if she has been ritually sacrificed.

With the police clueless, Aly is worried that this is a vicious warning for her and her solitary way of life. Fearing for her sister Merope’s wellbeing, she’s determined to find out why the killer murdered Rose and how her body was placed in Aly’s museum . . . But might the killer be someone hiding in plain sight?

Karen Russell’s SWAMPLANDIA! meets Ruth Ware’s THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY in this “suspenseful mystery populated with winning characters” (Booklist on Famous in Cedarville).

Reviews

“Creepy, suspenseful, and dark, this gothic thriller will appeal to fans of Guillermo del Toro, Sarah Perry, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia”

Booklist on Hollow Bones

“An incredibly rich work of literature”

Nashville Scene on Hollow Bones

“The action builds to a thoroughly satisfying and exciting finale. Wright provides it all: clean prose, captivating characters, a gripping mystery, and a wry look at Hollywood glamour and decay”

Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Famous in Cedarville

“Wright successfully combines small-town sensibility with the money and glitz of twentieth-century Hollywood in a suspenseful mystery populated with winning characters”

Booklist on Famous in Cedarville

“A clever little whodunnit”

The New York Times on Famous in Cedarville

“A twisty and engrossing thriller, one of those rare page-turners that you have to force yourself to slow down and savor the lyrical prose and atmospheric scenes . . . It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve read it”

Daniela Petrova, author of Her Daughter's Mother, on Famous in Cedarville

“Fascinating and fully developed characters . . . Wright's vividly told tale is studded with wry wit”

Publishers Weekly on The Blue Kingfisher

“Tense undercover scenes paired with Stone's struggle to rebuild her life after her stint with the NYPD create a gripping addition to the recent trend in crime fiction of portraying the dangers facing America's immigrants”

Booklist on The Blue Kingfisher

“Readers will want to see more”

Publishers Weekly on The Red Chameleon

“Aficionados of humorous mysteries like the Stephanie Plum series and the Lucky O'Toole series by Deborah Coonts will want to add this to their reading lists”

Booklist on The Red Chameleon

Erica Wright

Erica Wright is the author of eight books, including the essay collection Snake and the crime novels Famous in Cedarville and Hollow Bones. For more than a decade, she was the Poetry Editor at Guernica Magazine and currently teaches at Bellevue University. She holds degrees from New York University and Columbia University. She lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with her family.

View author page

Editions

The Museum of Unusual Occurrence by Erica Wright is available in the following formats

Hardback97814483202337th April 2026144 X 222mm240$29.99
Hardback97814483202337th April 2026144 X 222mm240£21.99
Ebook97814483202407th April 2026N/A240£12.99
FormatISBNPublication DateDimensionsPagesPrice